LVE is coming for a visit next week. I have him and Reid as top two I'd take at 28 with who possibly will be available. Others would be Evans and Harrison.

That said:

Quote:

Jessie Palmar - I’m told Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch had dinner with the Steelers last night and will leave for Dallas and a visit with the Cowboys in the morning. He’s visited the Saints and Eagles, and has visits with every team from 12-26 except the Ravens, Rams, Chargers lined up

Have a feeling he'll be gone by our pick. He has passed Evans on a number or boards it appears. I like Evans alot but his medicals and athleticism concern me.

_________________If I could live my life over, I'd be a football player, and you damn well better believe I'd be a Pittsburgh Steeler!

Evans would be a huge risk, considering he was bad in coverage and he has two groin injuries in two seasons, one of which was severe and is apparently not yet healed. Wouldn't shock me if he requires surgery, a la Bud Dupree's groin injury a couple of years ago.

I think LVE will be, as Greek said, the fit for the modern NFL. But. He's a one-year starter, he played a mixed bag of competition, and he's a finesse tackler who often misses plays by over running them or whiffing on a tackle. I would take him at 28, simply because the depth at that position is so non-existent and the starters are good but not entrenched for years to come.

Beyond Edmunds and LVE, I like but don't love Warner & Griffin as a Mack (To me, Warner's a better fit as an OLB in a 4-3, where he can focus on one part of the field... Griffin is more suited as a SS or 4-3 Will). I think Kiser, Scales and the like are no good as a fit. I'm not sure Baker can play. Shaun Dion Hamilton is too small for my liking. Burks is strictly a STs guy. Avery is going to be a very good edge player, not so good in space. I like Christian Sam and Andre Smith, but I don't think either is a fit as a Mack. The kid from NDSU is good, but he needs to have limited responsibilities in coverage. I haven't seen enough of Darius Leonard to have a set opinion, but he seems light and small-framed to me. It's why I keep coming back to Skai Moore.

I'd be good with LVE, but he is getting picked somewhere in the early to mid 20s.

Starting to think ILB will be addressed later in the draft and they will keep their eyes on veteran cuts in June.

Not really sure where they go round 1 as of today. Justin Reid maybe

I think they'd take Jesse Bates over Reid. They have shown a lot more interest in Bates and, honestly, he's a better fit for them. The obstacle for me is: are they willing to more or less give up on Sean Davis after two seasons?

@DWolfsonKSTPRecorded a new podcast yesterday afternoon. Former #Gophers DT Steven Richardson said he's received some interest from the #Steelers, #49ers, and #Seahawks. Former #Gophers LB Jonathan Celestin also joined. Both represented the 'U' very well. https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status ... 6360407040

Quote:

Guice is scheduled to visit several prominent franchises. The New England Patriots are next on his docket, and Guice is still set to see the Philadelphia Eagles, a visit which was rescheduled after flight issues. Yesterday Guice met with the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. http://draftanalyst.com/pro-day-lsu

I honestly believe that Guice will be there when we pick at 28. I hear people saying he will be gone I just have a hard time understanding which teams would take him.

Arizona at 15? No, they have DJ and look to extend him after the season.

Could he go as early as 16 to the Ravens? Doubtful, that seems way too early and the Ravens have issues all over the place. RB Alex Collins only started 12 games but rushed for 973 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He looked good catching the ball too. He is only 23 years old, appears they have their new Ray Rice.

Chargers at 17? They have RB Melvin Gordon at least for the next two seasons and he rushed for over 1,105 yards and 58 receptions with 12 TDs last year. Again, they have way more pressing needs elsewhere.

Seahawks at 18? Yeah, they lost Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy disappointed big time. So, Guice would make a lot of sense with this pick. But, that Legion of Boom defense is in such bad shape, Sherman is gone, Earl Thomas wants to be gone too, other players are getting older and becoming more injury-prone. Can Carroll afford to use that 18th pick for a RB? I don't think he can, that defense is so leaky, is on the verge of collapse and he needs to use this mid first round pick to shock that defense to life, to start the rebuild process.

Dallas at 19? No, they have Zeke.

Detroit at 20? Yeah, to me this is the most realistic, earliest spot for Guice to be taken. Historically, the Lions haven't had a RB, a real modern RB in a long, long time. I am talking a RB that can rush for 1,000 yards, give you a semblance of a complementary running game to take pressure off of Stafford. Matt Patricia is running the show now in Detroit. One of his first moves was to sign Legarrette Blount. You take Blount, Abdullah and Riddick and that gives you that classic New England RB by committee approach. Patricia being a defensive minded coach, is he really going to spend his inaugural first ever first round pick on offense? Really? I doubt it, odds to me are better that he uses that first round pick on defense, to get that player that is sort of his mission statement for the defense, that player that shows what he wants, and expects on defense moving forward.

Cincy at 21 has Joe Mixon and Giovanni Bernard, they are in great shape. They pass on Guice.

Buffalo at 22, they have Shady McCoy still under contract for 2 years.

New England at 23. Never can dismiss Belichick and what he might do, but man he has holes all over the place when you think about it. Lost his LT in Solder, lost CB Malcolm Butler, traded away Brandin Cooks, lost Danny Amendola, lost Dion Lewis. Now he did sign some players in free agency, he signed former Bengal Jeremy Hill who can be that dedicated runner in his RB by committee approach. They still have Rex Burkhead and James White so they offset Dion Lewis. I can't see them drafting Guice.

Carolina at 24? They have always preferred the RB by committee approach, going all the way back to when they had DeAngelo Williams and Stewart. Now they have Stewart, McCaffery and Curtis Samuel. Would they really invest ANOTHER 1st round pick in a RB after taking McCaffery 1st last year? They can easily use a 3rd or 4th round pick to replace what Stewart does in the offense, a 1st for Guice would be overkill.

The Titans at 25? No, not going to happen. They have Derrick Henry and just signed Dion Lewis from NE, they have their 1-2 punch, their Thunder and Lightning.

Falcons at 26? They signed Freeman last year for $8 million per season and still have Tevin Coleman for this season only, he will be a free agent in 2019. There has been talk that they are trying to extend him as well. They really seem to prefer having two interchangeable runner/receivers that are perfectly fit for their up tempo offense. Is Guice a fit there? I don't think so and I see them adding a WR or a defensive player, much greater need.

The Saints at 27? Again, like a lot teams they have their dynamic duo already in place with Ingram and Kamara.

Steelers at 28? Sure, we have Bell but for only 2018, he will not be coming back on a 2019 franchise tag number of $21 million. The Steelers just don't draft for this year, they draft for next year, or two years from now, etc. LVE is most likely gone by this point, I think Justin Reid is gone too. The worst thing the Steelers can do is reach for a Rahsaan Evans because they have a need and they want to force the issue. How well did that work out with Jarvis Jones, or Bud Dupree, or Artie Burns? If they are faced with taking the 4th or 5th ranked player at ILB or S and taking the 2nd ranked RB, it is a no brainer for me, you take the RB. Guice is the best player available by a pretty wide margin and Bell is gone in 2019. He is the best choice and provides an incredible 1-2 punch for 2018.

Now yeah, some team could trade up with one of those teams to take Guice before our 28th pick. But how realistic is that? What would it take for a team to move up in front of us? A lot and I think that won't happen, teams would do that for a QB they covet but not for a RB.

I honestly believe that Guice will be there when we pick at 28. I hear people saying he will be gone I just have a hard time understanding which teams would take him.

Arizona at 15? No, they have DJ and look to extend him after the season.

Could he go as early as 16 to the Ravens? Doubtful, that seems way too early and the Ravens have issues all over the place. RB Alex Collins only started 12 games but rushed for 973 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He looked good catching the ball too. He is only 23 years old, appears they have their new Ray Rice.

Chargers at 17? They have RB Melvin Gordon at least for the next two seasons and he rushed for over 1,105 yards and 58 receptions with 12 TDs last year. Again, they have way more pressing needs elsewhere.

Seahawks at 18? Yeah, they lost Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy disappointed big time. So, Guice would make a lot of sense with this pick. But, that Legion of Boom defense is in such bad shape, Sherman is gone, Earl Thomas wants to be gone too, other players are getting older and becoming more injury-prone. Can Carroll afford to use that 18th pick for a RB? I don't think he can, that defense is so leaky, is on the verge of collapse and he needs to use this mid first round pick to shock that defense to life, to start the rebuild process.

Dallas at 19? No, they have Zeke.

Detroit at 20? Yeah, to me this is the most realistic, earliest spot for Guice to be taken. Historically, the Lions haven't had a RB, a real modern RB in a long, long time. I am talking a RB that can rush for 1,000 yards, give you a semblance of a complementary running game to take pressure off of Stafford. Matt Patricia is running the show now in Detroit. One of his first moves was to sign Legarrette Blount. You take Blount, Abdullah and Riddick and that gives you that classic New England RB by committee approach. Patricia being a defensive minded coach, is he really going to spend his inaugural first ever first round pick on offense? Really? I doubt it, odds to me are better that he uses that first round pick on defense, to get that player that is sort of his mission statement for the defense, that player that shows what he wants, and expects on defense moving forward.

Cincy at 21 has Joe Mixon and Giovanni Bernard, they are in great shape. They pass on Guice.

Buffalo at 22, they have Shady McCoy still under contract for 2 years.

New England at 23. Never can dismiss Belichick and what he might do, but man he has holes all over the place when you think about it. Lost his LT in Solder, lost CB Malcolm Butler, traded away Brandin Cooks, lost Danny Amendola, lost Dion Lewis. Now he did sign some players in free agency, he signed former Bengal Jeremy Hill who can be that dedicated runner in his RB by committee approach. They still have Rex Burkhead and James White so they offset Dion Lewis. I can't see them drafting Guice.

Carolina at 24? They have always preferred the RB by committee approach, going all the way back to when they had DeAngelo Williams and Stewart. Now they have Stewart, McCaffery and Curtis Samuel. Would they really invest ANOTHER 1st round pick in a RB after taking McCaffery 1st last year? They can easily use a 3rd or 4th round pick to replace what Stewart does in the offense, a 1st for Guice would be overkill.

The Titans at 25? No, not going to happen. They have Derrick Henry and just signed Dion Lewis from NE, they have their 1-2 punch, their Thunder and Lightning.

Falcons at 26? They signed Freeman last year for $8 million per season and still have Tevin Coleman for this season only, he will be a free agent in 2019. There has been talk that they are trying to extend him as well. They really seem to prefer having two interchangeable runner/receivers that are perfectly fit for their up tempo offense. Is Guice a fit there? I don't think so and I see them adding a WR or a defensive player, much greater need.

The Saints at 27? Again, like a lot teams they have their dynamic duo already in place with Ingram and Kamara.

Steelers at 28? Sure, we have Bell but for only 2018, he will not be coming back on a 2019 franchise tag number of $21 million. The Steelers just don't draft for this year, they draft for next year, or two years from now, etc. LVE is most likely gone by this point, I think Justin Reid is gone too. The worst thing the Steelers can do is reach for a Rahsaan Evans because they have a need and they want to force the issue. How well did that work out with Jarvis Jones, or Bud Dupree, or Artie Burns? If they are faced with taking the 4th or 5th ranked player at ILB or S and taking the 2nd ranked RB, it is a no brainer for me, you take the RB. Guice is the best player available by a pretty wide margin and Bell is gone in 2019. He is the best choice and provides an incredible 1-2 punch for 2018.

Now yeah, some team could trade up with one of those teams to take Guice before our 28th pick. But how realistic is that? What would it take for a team to move up in front of us? A lot and I think that won't happen, teams would do that for a QB they covet but not for a RB.

Jonathan Stewart is gone in Carolina. They have McCaffery who they use more as a receiver. The Lions are the most realistic spot for Guice. I drafted them Sony Michel in our board mock, but Guice is picking up steam now.

I honestly believe that Guice will be there when we pick at 28. I hear people saying he will be gone I just have a hard time understanding which teams would take him.

Arizona at 15? No, they have DJ and look to extend him after the season.

Could he go as early as 16 to the Ravens? Doubtful, that seems way too early and the Ravens have issues all over the place. RB Alex Collins only started 12 games but rushed for 973 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He looked good catching the ball too. He is only 23 years old, appears they have their new Ray Rice.

Chargers at 17? They have RB Melvin Gordon at least for the next two seasons and he rushed for over 1,105 yards and 58 receptions with 12 TDs last year. Again, they have way more pressing needs elsewhere.

Seahawks at 18? Yeah, they lost Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy disappointed big time. So, Guice would make a lot of sense with this pick. But, that Legion of Boom defense is in such bad shape, Sherman is gone, Earl Thomas wants to be gone too, other players are getting older and becoming more injury-prone. Can Carroll afford to use that 18th pick for a RB? I don't think he can, that defense is so leaky, is on the verge of collapse and he needs to use this mid first round pick to shock that defense to life, to start the rebuild process.

Dallas at 19? No, they have Zeke.

Detroit at 20? Yeah, to me this is the most realistic, earliest spot for Guice to be taken. Historically, the Lions haven't had a RB, a real modern RB in a long, long time. I am talking a RB that can rush for 1,000 yards, give you a semblance of a complementary running game to take pressure off of Stafford. Matt Patricia is running the show now in Detroit. One of his first moves was to sign Legarrette Blount. You take Blount, Abdullah and Riddick and that gives you that classic New England RB by committee approach. Patricia being a defensive minded coach, is he really going to spend his inaugural first ever first round pick on offense? Really? I doubt it, odds to me are better that he uses that first round pick on defense, to get that player that is sort of his mission statement for the defense, that player that shows what he wants, and expects on defense moving forward.

Cincy at 21 has Joe Mixon and Giovanni Bernard, they are in great shape. They pass on Guice.

Buffalo at 22, they have Shady McCoy still under contract for 2 years.

New England at 23. Never can dismiss Belichick and what he might do, but man he has holes all over the place when you think about it. Lost his LT in Solder, lost CB Malcolm Butler, traded away Brandin Cooks, lost Danny Amendola, lost Dion Lewis. Now he did sign some players in free agency, he signed former Bengal Jeremy Hill who can be that dedicated runner in his RB by committee approach. They still have Rex Burkhead and James White so they offset Dion Lewis. I can't see them drafting Guice.

Carolina at 24? They have always preferred the RB by committee approach, going all the way back to when they had DeAngelo Williams and Stewart. Now they have Stewart, McCaffery and Curtis Samuel. Would they really invest ANOTHER 1st round pick in a RB after taking McCaffery 1st last year? They can easily use a 3rd or 4th round pick to replace what Stewart does in the offense, a 1st for Guice would be overkill.

The Titans at 25? No, not going to happen. They have Derrick Henry and just signed Dion Lewis from NE, they have their 1-2 punch, their Thunder and Lightning.

Falcons at 26? They signed Freeman last year for $8 million per season and still have Tevin Coleman for this season only, he will be a free agent in 2019. There has been talk that they are trying to extend him as well. They really seem to prefer having two interchangeable runner/receivers that are perfectly fit for their up tempo offense. Is Guice a fit there? I don't think so and I see them adding a WR or a defensive player, much greater need.

The Saints at 27? Again, like a lot teams they have their dynamic duo already in place with Ingram and Kamara.

Steelers at 28? Sure, we have Bell but for only 2018, he will not be coming back on a 2019 franchise tag number of $21 million. The Steelers just don't draft for this year, they draft for next year, or two years from now, etc. LVE is most likely gone by this point, I think Justin Reid is gone too. The worst thing the Steelers can do is reach for a Rahsaan Evans because they have a need and they want to force the issue. How well did that work out with Jarvis Jones, or Bud Dupree, or Artie Burns? If they are faced with taking the 4th or 5th ranked player at ILB or S and taking the 2nd ranked RB, it is a no brainer for me, you take the RB. Guice is the best player available by a pretty wide margin and Bell is gone in 2019. He is the best choice and provides an incredible 1-2 punch for 2018.

Now yeah, some team could trade up with one of those teams to take Guice before our 28th pick. But how realistic is that? What would it take for a team to move up in front of us? A lot and I think that won't happen, teams would do that for a QB they covet but not for a RB.

Jonathan Stewart is gone in Carolina. They have McCaffery who they use more as a receiver. The Lions are the most realistic spot for Guice. I drafted them Sony Michel in our board mock, but Guice is picking up steam now.

I think he's gone by 1.28

I think Guice and Michel are both on the board when the Steelers sprint begins...I like them both.I like Michel a little bit more.

I have no problem taking either Michel or Guice. It is interesting to me B2B, but I think Guice is the better pure runner and Michel will be the better pure pass catcher. Michel had 64 catches for 621 yards, a 9.7 yard avg and 6 TDs, he seems more advanced in running routes, in not rounding off his routes, coming slow out of his breaks, cuts when running the routes. Guice had just 32 catches for 250 yards, a 7.8 yard avg and 3 TDs, he was really under-utilized and the routes and whatnot were of the simple variety. I think Guice can get a lot better at it with experience and have 50-60 catches a season. Michel though can be that RB who is at another level in terms of catching the ball.

In terms of running, I really do see the comparisons that some make with Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch with Guice. The contact balance, the physicality, his instincts for running. I don't know, they are very close, Michel and Guice. It is going to suck though, if a year from now, we are all sitting here talking about what RB the Steelers are going to draft because Bell is gone and the pickings may be slim as we pick again at the end of the first round.

But this year the planets have all aligned, there may be a run on QBs and these two RBs that probably should be drafted much earlier are most likely both going to be there at 28. So, we have our next great RB there for the taking, served up nicely at 28 and all we have to decide is which to take. How can we pass that up?

Do we take the 4th or 5th ranked ILB instead? The 4th or 5th ranked S instead? I look at Barkely obviously as the best RB prospect, he is #1, but the #2 is a tie between Guice and Michel, again, how can you not draft one of them over Evans or Bates? You get in trouble when you draft prospects further down your draft board as you reach to fill a need. BPA is what worked out so well with JuJu last season, they need to do the same this year.

Also, kick returns are not dead yet, and both Guice and Michel would give us great kick returns this year while working with Bell for that 1-2 punch. All of these teams that have that Thunder and Lightning, dual RB tandem, Freeman/Coleman, Ingram/Kamara, Henry/Lewis, Mixon/Bernhard, why can't we do the same?

Why wouldn't a RB duo of Bell and Guice or Bell and Michel NOT be in the Steeler's best interest for a Super Bowl this year? It would make Bell more effective to have less touches, to be more rested throughout the season and from game to game. You could have that rookie RB be a dynamite KR. And if there were an injury to Bell you have a first round RB ready to pick up the slack. And that rookie RB will be able to be under contract for the next 5 years, he would easily be able to play with Ben until Ben decides to retire.